

Filter Stories - Coffee Documentaries
James Harper
Coffee stories with an extra shot of history and science. Filter Stories is a podcast revealing coffee’s hidden microscopic secrets, its powerful past, and how your choice of beans impacts tens of millions of people.
See the behind-the-scenes stories on Instagram @filterstoriespodcast.
If you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
See the behind-the-scenes stories on Instagram @filterstoriespodcast.
If you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 29, 2024 • 38min
Coffee Roasting, Part 1: How heat transforms coffee beans
What flavours do you want from your coffee?
Every coffee bean begins its life green. And if you brewed it up without first roasting it, you’d get a yellow-green cup of grass-flavoured water.
But, as soon you apply heat to a bean, the flavour can morph to from something quite vegetative to a very acidic unripe fruit, then a very sweet fruit, and eventually dark roasted flavours.
This is the magic of coffee roasting!
In this episode of The Science of Coffee, I show you a full roast in action on the ROEST P3000, taste how coffee flavours evolve from acidic to bitter, and speak to leading coffee roasting scientists to reveal the mind-bending chemical and physical transformations taking place.
See for yourself Roest's innovative P3000 fully automatic roaster.
Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!
Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
Connect with my very knowledgeable guests
Mark Al-Shemmeri - LinkedIn
Callum Gilmour - LinkedIn
Veronica Balduc - LinkedIn
Anja Rahn - LinkedInIldi Revi - LinkedIn
Samo Smrke - Instagram
Morten Münchow - Coffee Mind website
The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations
BWT Water and More
Marco Beverage Systems
ROEST
Sustainable Harvest
Mahlkönig
The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories

Jan 15, 2024 • 39min
Smell and Taste, Part 2: Are you and me tasting the same flavours?
Discover why people's taste perceptions vary even when tasting the same coffee. Dive into topics like the impact of music on taste, influence of coffee cup shape, and genetic/environmental factors affecting flavor experiences. Uncover the complexities of flavor descriptions and individual preferences in the world of coffee.

Jan 8, 2024 • 45min
Smell and Taste, Part 1: How to be a better coffee taster
Discover the fascinating link between smell and taste in coffee, revealing how flavor perception happens behind the eyes! Learn why specialty coffee can taste sweet without sugar and how aroma shapes our appreciation of this beloved beverage. Explore the intricacies of the tongue's taste receptors and practical tips for tasting enhancement. Join tasting expert Mandy Naglich as she shares techniques to sharpen your coffee skills, transforming your coffee experiences into delightful adventures!

Jan 2, 2024 • 2min
Introducing: Season 2 of The Science of Coffee
We're back with another series of The Science of Coffee!
Across 10 science stories, narrative audio producer and coffee professional James Harper takes you on a journey into coffee's hidden microscopic secrets.
James has spent the last year traveling to Central America, Greece, Norway, Switzerland and interviewing dozens of the world’s leading coffee scientists. This insights will help you appreciate coffee more deeply and make even better coffee at home.
We'll explore organic coffee growing, delve into the science of roasting, uncover optimal storage and grinding techniques, enhance your tasting skills through sensory science, and share James' journey towards thinking more like a scientist.
Press the Subscribe button so you don't miss future episodes! https://bit.ly/3TdDnHO
Follow James on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O
The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/3ajoT5e
The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
BWT Water and More
Mahlkönig
Marco Beverage Systems
Sustainable Harvest
ROEST

May 29, 2023 • 44min
4) Just Friends? America’s love affair with coffee
America is coffee-obsessed. From Central Perk’s red couch being the centre of major plot twists in Friends to the fact the average American drank more than two cups a day.
And the conventional explanation is pretty straightforward: an English colonist introduces coffee to Jamestown in 1607. 150 years later Americans rebel against the British by throwing tea chests into Boston harbour and drinking coffee becomes their patriotic duty. Oh, and of course who won the civil war? The side that had the coffee.
But, actually, the truth is much more surprising, and reveals a much more counter-intuitive story of America.
In this final episode of Series Two of A History of Coffee, we offer you a story of America through the lens of a black drink, another black drink, a third black drink and perhaps even a fourth.
A History of Coffee is a collaboration between documentary maker James Harper of the Filter Stories coffee podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’.
Don't miss future episodes by pressing the 'Subscribe' or 'Follow' button in your podcast player.
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Please spread the word about A History of Coffee!
Follow us on Instagram - Jonathan (@coffeehistoryjm) and James (@filterstoriespodcast) - and tag us in an Instagram story.
Write a review on Apple Podcasts (http://apple.co/3jY42aJ)
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3K2h4RQ)
This free educational content for the coffee community was made possible by Rancilio, manufacturers of professional Italian espresso machines for your home and coffee bar for almost 100 years
(https://bit.ly/3U3oLMz)
Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ (https://amzn.to/3dihAfU)
Listen to other coffee documentaries on James’ Filter Stories podcast (https://bit.ly/3ajoT5e)
Download all episodes of this second series right now by subscribing to the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel (http://bit.ly/2NArChO)
Learn how Brazil massively expanded output in episode three of the first series of A History of Coffee: Coffee Catches Fire (https://bit.ly/2NArChO)
Brew up some Yaupon Holly! (https://bit.ly/40R6IuY)
Discover Deb Hunter's All Things Tudor podcast (https://bit.ly/3L5OZet)

May 15, 2023 • 45min
3) Espresso Lungo: The slow road to Italy’s democratic espresso culture
One morning back in the ‘80s, Howard Schultz walks out of his Milan hotel, stumbles into an espresso bar, and fundamentally changes coffee history.
He discovered (and then popularises) the iconic, timeless Italian coffee experience: Rich thick coffee, an affordable price and great theatre.
But this Italian ritual is surprisingly young, so young that Howard Schultz was in school while some of it was being developed!
In this third episode of Series Two of A History of Coffee, we show you why for most of Italy’s history, coffee was thin, expensive, dull to watch…and that’s if you were lucky enough to even be drinking the real stuff at all!
A History of Coffee is a collaboration between documentary maker James Harper of the Filter Stories coffee podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’.
-----------
Don't miss future episodes by pressing the 'Subscribe' or 'Follow' button in your podcast player
Please spread the word about A History of Coffee!
Follow us on Instagram - Jonathan (@coffeehistoryjm) and James (@filterstoriespodcast) - and tag us in an Instagram story.
Write a review on Apple Podcasts (http://apple.co/3jY42aJ)
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3K2h4RQ)
This free educational content for the coffee community was made possible by Rancilio, manufacturers of professional Italian espresso machines for your home and coffee bar for almost 100 years
(https://bit.ly/3U3oLMz)
Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ (https://amzn.to/3dihAfU)
Listen to other coffee documentaries on James’ Filter Stories podcast (https://bit.ly/3ajoT5e)
Download all episodes of this second series right now by subscribing to the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel (http://bit.ly/2NArChO)
Go deeper into the story of espresso machines:
James' science podcast about Espresso Machine Technology
Neapolitan coffee maker (https://bit.ly/3zZCivl)
Espresso at 1906 World’s Fair in Milan (https://bit.ly/3MOX7kQ)
Rancilio's Museum, Officina Rancilio 1926 (https://bit.ly/3Q7vqTI)
"La Cornuta" espresso machine (https://bit.ly/41uBryd)
Rancilio's Berlin Showroom, the BER Rancilio Station (https://bit.ly/3mD0lNA)

May 1, 2023 • 48min
2) A Lasting Stain: Haiti, Colonialism and Coffee
Haiti was once the biggest, most profitable coffee growing region in the world.
But today Haiti is one of the world’s poorest nations where you can’t get a bag of Haitian beans delivered to Berlin in a week for love nor money.
In this second episode of Series Two of A History of Coffee, we show you how colonialism and racism dragged Haiti into poverty, and the role of coffee at the centre of it.
Be warned: this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence.
A History of Coffee is a collaboration between documentary maker James Harper of the Filter Stories coffee podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’.
-----------
Don't miss future episodes by pressing the 'Subscribe' or 'Follow' button in your podcast player
Please spread the word about A History of Coffee!
Follow us on Instagram - Jonathan (@coffeehistoryjm) and James (@filterstoriespodcast) - and tag us in an Instagram story.
Write a review on Apple Podcasts (http://apple.co/3jY42aJ)
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3K2h4RQ)
This free educational content for the coffee community was made possible by Rancilio, manufacturers of professional Italian espresso machines for your home and coffee bar for almost 100 years
(https://bit.ly/3U3oLMz)
Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ (https://amzn.to/3dihAfU)
Listen to other coffee documentaries on James’ Filter Stories podcast (https://bit.ly/3ajoT5e)
Download all episodes of this second series right now by subscribing to the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel (http://bit.ly/2NArChO)

Apr 17, 2023 • 45min
1) It’s Just Coffee? How coffee houses changed the world
A coffee shop is a lot more than just a place to drink coffee. The seats and sofas encourage you to invite a friend, and chat.
And chatting is powerful: ideas that emerge from these caffeine-fuelled conversations give birth to modern finance and even the founding of great artistic and scientific institutions.
Meanwhile, other ideas threaten those in power, and have led to many attempts to ban coffeeshops (and even coffee itself!) these last 500 years.
In the first episode of Series Two of A History of Coffee, we show you how the coffee shop changed the world, and we ask whether it still has what it takes to upend society.
A History of Coffee is a collaboration between documentary maker James Harper of the Filter Stories coffee podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’.
-----------
Don't miss future episodes by pressing the 'Subscribe' or 'Follow' button in your podcast player
Please spread the word about A History of Coffee!
Follow us on Instagram - Jonathan (@coffeehistoryjm) and James (@filterstoriespodcast) - and tag us in an Instagram story.
Write a review on Apple Podcasts (http://apple.co/3jY42aJ)
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3K2h4RQ)
This free educational content for the coffee community was made possible by Rancilio, manufacturers of professional Italian espresso machines for your home and coffee bar for almost 100 years
(https://bit.ly/3U3oLMz)
Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ (https://amzn.to/3dihAfU)
Listen to other coffee documentaries on James’ Filter Stories podcast (https://bit.ly/3ajoT5e)
Download all episodes of this second series right now by subscribing to the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel (http://bit.ly/2NArChO)

Apr 3, 2023 • 5min
Introducing: Series Two of A History of Coffee
We're back with more stories about the tiny psychoactive seed that changed the world and continues to shape our lives today.
In Series Two, we reveal how the invention of the coffee shop revolutionised societies, why colonialism, racism and coffee have kept once prosperous Haiti poor today, how Italy's revered espresso culture was created, and we debunk many myths around America's supposed love affair with coffee.
If we want to make coffee a more equitable industry that’s also kinder to the environment, a place to start is understanding the stories and systems that put the coffee into your cup this morning.
Press the ‘Subscribe’ button so you don’t miss future episodes. Listen to all the episodes at once on the A History of Coffee podcast channel.
A History of Coffee is a collaboration between documentary maker James Harper of the Filter Stories coffee podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’.
Follow us on Instagram! Jonathan Morris @coffeehistoryjm and James Harper @filterstoriespodcast.
This free educational content was made possible with the support of Rancilio, manufacturers of professional Italian espresso machines for almost 100 years.
Join us live at the London Coffee Festival 2023! We have three time slots for you to choose from: Saturday, 22 April, 11:00-11:30 and 14:30-15:00, and Sunday, 23 April,14:30-15:00.

Jan 31, 2023 • 54min
6) Sonic Seasoning
Imagine you’ve got a cup of coffee in front of you. You haven’t tasted it yet. You therefore don’t know what it tastes like, right?
Wrong. Some scientists argue that you actually do know what it will taste like (more or less), and the act of tasting simply confirms what you have already imagined it will taste like. And that’s because a growing body of research is revealing that sight, sound and touch all affect your expectation of a coffee’s flavours.
In this episode, I explore how certain sounds might make your coffee taste sweeter, while other sounds translate to bitterness. And I expose how some cafe owners might be ruining the flavours of the high-end specialty coffee you paid for without even realising it.
In the second half, I show you why so many of our scientific questions about coffee are going unanswered. I take you deep into the future of coffee science by explaining who’s doing research into coffee science, why they’re doing it, how much it costs and how you can get involved.
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Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!
Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
Explore the technology behind Fiorenzato’s AllGround home coffee grinder
Get more involved in coffee science!
Buy Brita Folmer’s The Craft & Science of Coffee
Read the Specialty Coffee Association's 25 Magazine for cutting edge insights into coffee science, business and sustainability, including Charles Spence’s article on sonic seasoning
Partner with the Coffee Science Foundation
Explore Felipe Reinoso Carvalho’s sonic research, including Diego Campos’ winning World Barista Championship routine
Apply to study at the UC Davis Coffee Centre
Do an online course with ZHAW’s Coffee Excellence Centre
Subscribe to Barista Hustle and complete their online coffee courses
Become a member of the Barista Guild, Coffee Roaster’s Guild, Coffee Technicians Guild and attend their events!
Connect with my very knowledgeable guests
Charles Spence - Academic profile
Fabiana Carvalho - Instagram
Janice Wang - LinkedIn
Felipe Reinoso Carvalho - LinkedIn
Chahan Yeretzian - LinkedIn
Bill Ristenpart - Academic profile
Peter Giuliano - LinkedIn
Jenn Rugolo - LinkedIn
Giulia Bagato - LinkedIn
Denis Girardi - LinkedIn
The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations
BWT Water and More
Marco Beverage Systems
Trabocca
Eversys
Oatly
Fiorenzato